John Carl Bonstead, the son of Oral A. Bonstead and Elsie (Graettinger) Bonstead was born September 12, 1940 in Graettinger, Palo Alto County, Iowa and departed this life at Brookdale Senior Living in San Ramon, California on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at the age of 83.
John received his education in the Graettinger schools, graduating from Graettinger High School in 1958. He moved to California in 1959 where he got a job with Trans World Airlines in many ground service capacities.
On May 25, 1963, he was united in marriage to Margaret Berdeja in San Francisco. He was drafted into the U.S. Army by Palo Alto County in 1963, where he became a military policeman in Darmstadt, Germany for two years. Upon returning home, he finished his education and graduated from San Francisco State University with a business degree. He successfully maintained his employment with Trans World Airlines until his retirement after 34 years of service in the airline industry.
John is survived by his wife, Margaret, his son, Patrick John Bonstead, and wife Mandi and her son Logan of San Ramon, California; his two sisters, Marilyn Hanson of Armstrong and Shirley Schacherer of Estherville. He is also survived by many relatives on both sides of the Bonstead and Graettinger families. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Kathleen, brothers-in-law Louise Schacherer and Harvey Hanson, and a niece, Barbara Quastad.